March 2, 2014 10:13pm ESTMarch 2, 2014 2:08pm ESTKeith Appling's senior season began with a challenge and could end in disappointment. SN's Mike DeCourcy says this point guard, brilliant at his best, is a problem Michigan State can only hope will find resolution.Keith Appling, center(AP Photo)

Mike D's Foursights

Appling listened. He worked absurdly hard to meet his coach's challenge. He worked on his ballhandling, he polished his jump shot, he watched film to gain an understanding of how a point guard should think.

When the 2013-14 season began, Appling emerged not only as a true point guard, but as one of the best in Division I. He had 22 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds against Kentucky. He scored 27 against Oklahoma and 20 against Ohio State. He earned 16 free throws against Minnesota and made 15 of them.

As the Big Ten Conference season progressed, though, Appling fell victim to pain in right wrist. He sat out three games in early February, but it didn't help. And now that he is back, he isn't. Not really.

Following Feb. 23's loss to Michigan, Izzo said it was fruitless to hope for Appling in particular or the team in general to be normal.

"Normality is not going to hit our team," he said. "I still think we have enough to do it without being normal."

They do not have enough to do it, though, without Appling being better. In the four games since his return, he has attempted 12 shots. He scored 14 points. He earned eight free throws and made two. And Michigan State lost three of the four.

It's not unreasonable to suggest that Appling's struggle to use his hands for steals, deflections and whatever contact he might get away with contributed to opponents' 45.5 percent shooting in that stretch.

There inevitably will be suggestions that the Spartans are better off without Appling, using Travis Trice and just moving on. It's not inconceivable the Spartans might perform better in the short term. This is not professional sports, though, however important it may be. That is not how you treat a player in Appling's circumstance.

Appling has been a wonderful player for four seasons, winning a Big Ten regular-season title as starting point guard in 2012 and a Big Ten Tournament in 2013. He has struggled at times as a point guard, but never with the responsibilities of being an excellent teammate. He earned the chance to play through what is ailing him and to achieve whatever is possible under the circumstances.

In the best scenario, Appling begins to feel better and begins to play more like Keith Appling. There's no telling whether that day arrives before the end of March, or the end of the Spartans' season. The only just course is to give him the chance.